Vasectomies for Dogs?

Guardian

The Cosmic Force
Does anyone have any experience with vasectomies for dogs? I have a young male, so I am looking at all sterilization options.

I want to make sure he can never make puppies, since there are wayyyyyy too many unwanted doggies in shelters already...but I'm not sure that completely neutering him is the best way to go?

A vasectomy would insure that he could never breed, but would leave him his hormones and basically everything else nature gave him.

My only concern is that I've read neutering prevents testicular cancer, which is apparently a big problem with unneutered males? Is this truth, or media hype to get people to neuter?

Regardless of which sterilization method I choose, I'm going to wait until he is fully mature, but I'm starting my research now. If anyone has any experience with doggie vasectomies, I would really appreciate some advice!
 
Hi Guardian. I know when one has a male dog neutered early (puppyhood), it cuts out a lot of bad habits: marking territory indoors and humping owner`s leg or anything similar are just a few things. Good luck! What breed is he? :D
 
Nancy2feathers said:
Hi Guardian. I know when one has a male dog neutered early (puppyhood), it cuts out a lot of bad habits: marking territory indoors and humping owner`s leg or anything similar are just a few things.

Yeah, but those behaviors can be trained like everything else. I got my pup a big stuffed horse for when he wants to hump. If he starts to go to town on a piece of furniture, or someone's leg...whatever, I just put him on humpy the horse and tell him to enjoy. He does.

He can't help having the instinct to hump, but I can teach him what he's allowed to hump. Same thing for marking his territory...that's an outside activity.


Good luck! What breed is he? :D

That's a good question, and there are many theories, some type of Collie, Australian shepherd, Husky mix...maybe? I'm guessing there are at least 3-4 breeds of dog in there?
 
Guardian said:
...I got my pup a big stuffed horse for when he wants to hump. If he starts to go to town on a piece of furniture, or someone's leg...whatever, I just put him on humpy the horse and tell him to enjoy...

Thank you, you made my morning. :rotfl:
 
_http://www.petmd.com/blogs/dailyvet/2009/July/31#.UM8mqobiETA

Tubal ligations and vasectomies for dogs?
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July 31, 2009 / (11) comments

In case you didn’t already guess it, the topic is considered a tad taboo among veterinarians. At the very least, it’s controversial. That’s because the basic spay and neuter do the job well. Very well, in fact. Unfortunately, they’re also invasive. In the case of the spay, VERY invasive.

All the same, we spay and neuter safely all the time. Typically in the United States, we spay by cutting out the ovaries and the uterus, and neuter by removing both testicles. And we’re good at it. VERY good at it. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to sterilize a pet. It doesn’t mean other approaches shouldn’t be considered––not for dogs, anyway.

That’s because dogs can theoretically wait on a spay or neuter (yesterday’s post also covered this subject), but they can’t necessarily wait on the issue of sterilization––not as long as the pet overpopulation problem continues unabated, not as long as more and more municipalities adopt laws that actually require pets to be sterilized by as early as four months of age (more on this next week).

As long as these facts, cultural norms and trends persist, some form of sterilization for pets will be considered routine. But when a complete gonad removal (a in a spay or neuter) doesn’t mesh with what you and your veterinarian deem best for your dog, other less invasive alternatives may suffice––temporarily at least.

Hence the concept of vasectomization and tubal ligation.

These easy surgeries require tiny incisions and cause minimal pain––nothing compared to their standard counterparts. And they do the trick, sterilizing effectively, efficiently, and irreversibly.

So why have you likely never heard of this? It’s all about the veterinary community’s resistance to change its basic standards. Our medical culture still deems it unwise to sterilize without removing the actual source of the hormones––the gonads. The benefits of early gonadectomy still outweigh the risks of waiting (though that seems to be changing for at least some dogs).

Moreover, when we know that all dogs are best served fully spayed and neutered at some point (once they’re old enough to suffer a higher risk of reproductive diseases prevented by spays and neuters), it seems kind of wrong to force a pet to undergo two surgeries instead of just one.

In other words, pets vasectomized or receiving tubal ligations early on to prevent reproduction will also need a spay or neuter later on to prevent disease––with all the risks that entails (spays done later in life are much bigger procedures than when they’re done early).

Nonetheless, given the mandates for early spays and neuters cropping up countrywide, I can’t help but argue that some pets are best left "intact." If not because early spays and neuters might not be best, then because athletes, other competitors and some service dogs might be better at what they do when left "whole"––with a simple snip, snip somewhere very discreet.

It’s certainly not for all pets (indeed, maybe only for a small minority), but it’s nonetheless a bonus to have another option, right?
 
I totally disagree with your line of thinking. If you are not going to use a dog for stud service or breeding, your pet, imo and experience, is able to focus better on other things besides procreating. Maybe you`ll be a lucky one and he`ll grow out of it. The stuffed animal he`s humping is just a tease. :cry:
 
Nancy2feathers said:
I totally disagree with your line of thinking. If you are not going to use a dog for stud service or breeding, your pet, imo and experience, is able to focus better on other things besides procreating. Maybe you`ll be a lucky one and he`ll grow out of it. The stuffed animal he`s humping is just a tease. :cry:

I had a housemate for a couple of years that owned a male golden retriever that was never neutered. The dog was around 12 or so at the time, and he did just fine focusing on other things, although he did have a somewhat unusual way of greeting visitors.
 
Megan said:
Nancy2feathers said:
I totally disagree with your line of thinking. If you are not going to use a dog for stud service or breeding, your pet, imo and experience, is able to focus better on other things besides procreating. Maybe you`ll be a lucky one and he`ll grow out of it. The stuffed animal he`s humping is just a tease. :cry:

I had a housemate for a couple of years that owned a male golden retriever that was never neutered. The dog was around 12 or so at the time, and he did just fine focusing on other things, although he did have a somewhat unusual way of greeting visitors.

We neutered our last dog and it didn't seem to phase him at all. In fact, I think he humped more after the operation. Presently we have a small Shelty and he doesn't like to go outside so I don't see the need to have him neutered really. To me its like saying that nature made them wrong and we have to fix them. Unless the dog runs around unattended in a yard or something, I'm kind of against it.
 
_http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/april/ligations_vasectomies#.UM88jIbiETA

Why Tubal Ligations and Vasectomies for Pets Can Be Like Pulling Teeth (And What YOU Can Do About It)
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April 19, 2010 / (28) comments

Of all the e-mails and phone calls Fully Vetted brings my way, the single most commonly queried issue has to do with how to source a tubal ligation or vasectomy. Apparently, it’s near-impossible to find veterinarians willing to take on these simple procedures.


Which is endlessly frustrating to those among you who have read this blog’s posts on tubal ligation and vasectomies for canine sterilization and decided this approach might just be best for your pet. Some of you have even gone so far as to track me down at my workplace, asking why the heck I seem to be the only veterinarian in tarnation willing to consider this easier alternative to spays and neuters.


In a past post (one my Dolittler readers might remember), I handled the question this way:


Veterinary medicine is increasingly becoming aware that spay and neuter is not one-size-fits-all — not for our dogs, anyway. Though the spay and neuter mantra still holds extra-firm among most veterinarians, the truth is that the jury is out on whether it’s best for males to retain their testicles and females their ovaries ... and for how long.


Indeed, a recent study convincingly correlated longevity with ovary retention in female dogs. Other studies have effectively questioned whether orthopedic health and a cancer-free status might not be challenged by our traditionally early spays and neuters.


Sure, sometimes it’s best to remove gonads entirely, as when hormone-related diseases or cancers make themselves known (think mammary tumors, testicular cancers, or prostatic disease). Or when significant behavior issues indicate that a better quality of life or greater human safety might be achieved through complete sterilization (most notably in cases of aggression). But the biggest reason we veterinarians advocate reproductive organ removal for dogs is the obvious: pet overpopulation.


For cats? Don’t get me started. I don’t yet see a way out of complete gonadectomies for felines. They’re just not behaviorally amenable to in-home living when their ovaries and testicles hold such aggressive sway over their behavior. Moreover, longevity in cats IS correlated with the kind of indoor living we can offer them once they’ve parted company with their parts.


But our much-milder dogs offer a totally different opportunity. From a public policy standpoint, vasectomization and tubal ligation offer the advantage of a less invasive, more rapid brand of sterilization. (Read: less expensive = more dogs sterilized = less overpopulation). And an owner can always choose to completely castrate or spay later. No harm, no foul.


But if you ask veterinarians across the country, the concept of a tubal ligation or vasectomy reeks of the unethical. That’s what I’ve been told by some colleagues, anyway. "Why do something only halfway?" Moreover, they assume the desire for these procedures comes down to mere human conceit (i.e., “I want my dog to keep his balls and I think it’s natural for him to continue to have sex.”).


To be sure, there are some of these sentiments represented among the e-mailers asking about vasectomies. But increasingly, my callers and e-mailers aren’t the kooks my fellow colleagues might assume they’d be. In fact, most of them are perfectly normal, highly educated pet people who have taken the time to research the issue and wondered why the heck they were getting so much opposition from their vet. They’re just trying to do the responsible thing, right?


Last week I had another one of these e-mailers contact me with a very specific question: "Where in Northern California can I have my dogs vasectomized?" This determined dog owner had called up and down the coast and claims the best offer she got was for a $6,000 procedure at UC Davis’s vet school. (And I happen to believe her, based on similarly frustrated owners I’ve heard from in and around the Bay Area.)


That’s when I got on the phone and called one of the veterinarians Gina Spadafori over at PetConnection recommended when my sister had moved out that way last year. Dr. Kathleen Danielson had immediately agreed, adding only the traditional caveat: “Vasectomies are great but they always carry a risk of failure.” In other words, sometimes those bullheaded sperm manage to find a way.


Still, she was game. So now, as of next week, two soft-coated wheatons from California will be added to the growing ranks of those who have opted for a different kind of snip-snip. And we've identified one more veterinarian who's happy to be of service in this regard. Do I hear a round of applause for The Country Vet in Marin County, California?


OK, so that was my long-winded explanation, to which I’ll add this obvious point:


Veterinarians don’t do vasectomies and tubal ligations because we weren’t taught to do them in school. Veterinarians at the forefront of change in veterinary medicine tend to be those in vet school settings. They influence all of us through the papers they write, and the students they teach. But they have no incentive to teach these procedures or ponder their significance. Even shelter medicine programs haven’t yet eyed this possibility. Adding another method to the mix is just too complicated…


…especially when that method is an unverifiable one. I mean, how would you know whether a dog has been vasectomized or had her “tubes tied”? It’s argued that these procedures might leave a telltale scar, but that’s no proof. The proof for males is in the absence of testicles, and for females, the absence of a heat cycle. Yet I’d rebut that there’s scant verifiability there, either. If it’s legal proof we’re concerned with, a veterinarian’s say-so should be enough, right?


Now that I’ve had my say (and will again in an upcoming article addressed to veterinarians in Veterinary Practice News), here’s where you come in: I’d like to know where in this country veterinarians are willing to perform vasectomies and tubal ligations. To that end, I want you to ask your veterinarian if, theoretically speaking, he or she would perform one?


If the answer is yes, plenty of us here want to know. Call your vet today and ask, but don’t ask the receptionist. S/he might just look up the list of surgical procedures on the computer and give you a no based on the absence of a code. So ask your vet directly, instead. If they say yes, add his/her name and hospital to the comments below. Inquiring minds … we want to know.
 
http://www.caninesports.com/uploads/1/5/3/1/15319800/earlyspayconsiderations.pdf

Those of us with responsibility for the health of canine athletes need to continually read and evaluate new scientific studies to ensure that we are taking the most appropriate care of our performance dogs. This article provides evidence through a number of recent studies to suggest that veterinarians and owners working with canine athletes should revisit the standard protocol in which all dogs that are not intended for breeding are spayed and neutered at or before 6 months of age.

Orthopedic Considerations
A study by Salmeri et al in 1991 found that bitches spayed at 7 weeks grew significantly taller than those spayed at 7 months, and that those spayed at 7 months had significantly delayed closure of the growth plates than those not spayed (or presumably spayed after the growth plates had closed).(1) A study of 1444 Golden Retrievers performed in 1998 and 1999 also found that bitches and dogs spayed or neutered at less than a year of age were significantly taller than those spayed or neutered at more than a year of age.(2) The sex hormones, by communicating with a number of other growth-related hormones, promote the closure of the growth plates at puberty (3), so the bones of dogs or bitches neutered or spayed before puberty continue to grow. Dogs that have been spayed or neutered well before puberty
can frequently be identified by their longer limbs, lighter bone structure, narrow chests and narrow skulls.

This abnormal growth frequently results in significant alterations in body proportions and particularly the lengths (and therefore weights) of certain bones relative to others. For example, if the femur has achieved its genetically determined normal length at 8 months when a dog gets spayed or neutered, but the tibia, which normally stops growing at 12 to 14 months of age continues to grow, then an abnormal angle may develop at the stifle. In addition, with the extra growth, the lower leg below the stifle becomes heavier (because it is longer), causing increased stresses on the cranial cruciate ligament in the stifle or knee
joint.

In addition, sex hormones are critical for achieving peak bone density.(4) These structural and
physiological alterations may be the reason why three separate studies have shown that spayed and neutered dogs have a higher incidence of CCL rupture.(5 -7) Another recent study showed that dogs spayed or neutered before 5 1/2 months had a significantly higher incidence of hip dysplasia than those spayed or neutered after 5 1/2 months of age, although it should be noted that in this study there were no standard criteria for the diagnosis of hip dysplasia.(8) Nonetheless, breeders of purebred dogs should be cognizant of these two studies and should consider whether the pups they bred were spayed or neutered
when making breeding decisions.

Cancer Considerations
A retrospective study of cardiac tumors in dogs showed that spayed bitches had 5 times greater risk than intact bitches had of developing hemangiosarcoma, one of the three most common cancers in dogs. Neutered dogs had 2.4 times higher risk than intact males had of developing hemangiosarcoma.(9) A study of 3218 dogs demonstrated that dogs that were neutered before a year of age had a significantly increased chance of developing bone cancer, a cancer that is much more life threatening than mammary cancer, and that affects both genders.(10)

A separate study showed that neutered dogs had a two-fold higher risk of developing bone cancer.(11) Despite the common belief that neutering dogs helps prevent prostate cancer, at least one study suggests that neutering provides no benefit.(12) There certainly is evidence of a slightly increased risk of mammary cancer in female dogs after one heat cycle and of increased risk with each subsequent heat. While about 30% of mammary cancers are malignant, as in humans, when caught and surgically removed early, the prognosis is very
good.(13) Luckily canine athletes are handled frequently and generally receive prompt veterinary care.

Behavioral Considerations
A recent study showed that early age gonadectomy was associated with an increased incidence of noise phobias and undesirable sexual behaviors, such as mounting.(8) A recent report of the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (AKC-CHF) reported significantly more behavioral problems in spayed and neutered bitches and dogs. The most commonly observed behavioral problem in spayed females was fearful behavior and the most common problem in males was aggression.(14)

Other Health Considerations
A number of studies have shown that there is an increase in the incidence of female urinary incontinence in dogs spayed early (15), although this finding has not been universal.
Certainly there is evidence that ovarian hormones are critical for maintaining genital tissue structure and contractility.(16, 17) Neutering also has been associated with an increased likelihood of urethral sphincter incontinence in males.(18) This problem is an inconvenience, and not usually life-threatening, but nonetheless one that requires the dog to be medicated for life. A health survey of several thousand Golden Retrievers showed that spayed or neutered dogs were more likely to develop hypothyroidism.(2)

This study is consistent with the results of another study in which neutering and spaying was determined to be the most significant gender-associated risk factor for development of hypothyroidism.(19) Infectious diseases were more common in dogs that were spayed or neutered at 24 weeks or less as opposed to those undergoing spaying or neutering at more than 24 weeks.(20) Finally, the AKC-CHF report demonstrated a higher incidence of adverse reactions to vaccines in neutered dogs as compared to intact ones.(14)

I have gathered these studies to show that our practice of routinely spaying or neutering every dog at or before the age of 6 months is not a black-and-white issue. Clearly more studies need to be done to evaluate the effects of prepubertal spaying and neutering, particularly in canine athletes. Currently, I have significant concerns with spaying or neutering canine athletes before puberty. But of course, there is the pet overpopulation problem. How can we prevent the production of unwanted dogs while still leaving the
gonads to produce the hormones that are so important to canine growth and development?

One answer would be to perform vasectomies in males and tubal ligation in females, to be followed after maturity by ovariohysterectomy (spaying) in females to prevent mammary cancer and pyometra. One possible disadvantage is that vasectomy does not prevent some unwanted behaviors associated with males such as marking and humping. On the other hand, females and neutered males frequently participate in these behaviors too. Really, training is the best solution for these issues.

Another possible disadvantage is
finding a veterinarian who is experienced in performing these procedures. Nonetheless, some do, and if the procedures were in greater demand, more veterinarians would learn them. I believe it is important that we assess each situation individually. For canine athletes, I currently recommend that dogs and bitches be spayed or neutered after 14 months of age (the age at which the growth plates have closed).

References:
1. Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V.. Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. JAVMA 1991;198:1193-1203
2. http://www.grca.org/healthsurvey.pdf
3. Grumbach MM. Estrogen, bone, growth and sex: a sea change in conventional wisdom. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2000;13 Suppl 6:1439-55.
4. Gilsanz V, Roe TF, Gibbens DT, Schulz EE, Carlson ME, Gonzalez O, Boechat MI. Effect of sex steroids on peak bone density of growing rabbits. Am J Physiol. 1988 Oct;255(4 Pt 1):E416-21.
5. Slauterbeck JR, Pankratz K, Xu KT, Bozeman SC, Hardy DM. Canine ovariohysterectomy and
orchiectomy increases the prevalence of ACL injury. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2004 Dec;(429):301-5.
6. Whitehair JG, Vasseur PB, Willits NH. Epidemiology of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs. JAVMA 1993;203:1016-1019.
7. Duval JM, Budsberg SC, Flo GL, Sammarco JL. Breed, sex, and body weight as risk factors for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in young dogs. JAVMA 1999;215:811-814.
8. Spain CV, Scarlett JM, Houpt KA. Long-term risks and benefits of early-age gonadectomy in dogs.
JAVMA 2004;224:380-387.
9. Ware WA, Hopper DL. Cardiac tumors in dogs: 1982-1995. J Vet Intern Med 1999 Mar-Apr;13(2):95-103
10. Cooley DM, Beranek BC, Schlittler DL, Glickman NW, Glickman LT, Waters D. Endogenous gonadal hormone exposure and bone sarcoma risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2002
Nov;11(11):1434-40.
11. Ru G, Terracini B, Glickman LT. Host related risk factors for canine osteosarcoma. Vet J. 1998 Jul;156(1):31-9.
12. Obradovich J, Walshaw R, Goullaud E. The influence of castration on the development of prostatic carcinoma in the dog. 43 cases (1978-1985). J Vet Intern Med 1987 Oct-Dec;1(4):183-7
13. Meuten DJ. Tumors in Domestic Animals. 4th Edn. Iowa State Press, Blackwell Publishing Company, Ames, Iowa, p. 575
14. http://www.akcchf.org/pdfs/whitepapers/Biennial_National_Parent_Club_Canine_Health_Conference.pdf
15. Stocklin-Gautschi NM, Hassig M, Reichler IM, Hubler M, Arnold S. The relationship of urinary incontinence to early spaying in bitches. J. Reprod. Fertil. Suppl. 57:233-6, 2001
16. Pessina MA, Hoyt RF Jr, Goldstein I, Traish AM. Differential effects of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone on vaginal structural integrity. Endocrinology. 2006 Jan;147(1):61-9.
17. Kim NN, Min K, Pessina MA, Munarriz R, Goldstein I, Traish AM. Effects of ovariectomy and steroid hormones on vaginal smooth muscle contractility. Int J Impot Res. 2004 Feb;16(1):43-50.
18. Aaron A, Eggleton K, Power C, Holt PE. Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in male dogs: a
retrospective analysis of 54 cases. Vet Rec. 139:542-6, 1996
19. Panciera DL. Hypothyroidism in dogs: 66 cases (1987-1992). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 204:761-7 1994
20. Howe LM, Slater MR, Boothe HW, Hobson HP, Holcom JL, Spann AC. Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001 Jan 15;218(2):217-21.
 
I should also add that my vet, whom I trust, will do the vasectomy if that is my choice...the only real issue is whether or not there is an increased risk of prostrate cancer if I leave my boy his testicles?
 
I had a male dog that had a vasectomy and was ok after that, very strong dog and his character never changed, he was like himself a good guardian and protector and good marvelous friend. Than my female dog that I still have had a very dangerous infection and was force to have a vasectomy, hopefully I arrived in time she was taken in time or she would be dead now. She is still crazy and dynamic, in good health, good humor, very active. I regretted that she had a vasectomy because she is pure bred, a Belgian Shepherd and I would have like to have another dog like her from her. But this is not possible anymore. :(
 
Well, I dunno. I wanted a vasectomy for "my" dog, because I really didn't like what I found on the net about the whole castration thing.

But, the vet convinced me that the Full Chop was better.

One of the main reasons that this convincing worked is because they didn't do the "old-fashioned lop off the whole scrotum" deal. They do a tiny incision and remove just the testicles, then seal off the pipework before closing the incision. It doesn't even look like anything was removed immediately afterwards, due to swelling. In time, things shrink.

He didn't even seem to notice that he had lost anything. In fact, he didn't even seem to be aware that anything at all had happened. He did stop peeing on everything, and he stopped his "rough playing" with the other doggies that had started to get a bit out of hand. That was important, because I'm Big Dog to him, and I can't be around 24/7 to watch him.

The big plus is that now when other doggies are in heat, he doesn't have to be kept away from them. He tended to go a bit crazy and injure himself trying to get to the female the last round, who was not supposed to have puppies since she had some when last she was in heat. Well, I sure as hell wasn't gonna make him go through that again! It made me sick. Now, nature just takes its course, and everyone goes home happy - without the puppies.

In short, he didn't lose his mojo. He just lost the crazy-making that the mojo can cause.

Anyway, I dunno about the whole testicular cancer thing. I think that's probably a bunch of baloney, unless you feed your dog commercial dog food that's 85% corn and wheat! It's probably like blaming smoking for cancer on a planet where everything is toxic, including/especially the food. I couldn't find anything really concrete that it's SOOO important to castrate. In fact, our vet seemed to downplay that part, and emphasize the "fix the crazy-making" part.

I would say if you're in doubt, go for the vasectomy.
 
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